Thursday, March 31, 2011

This dress was kind of a miracle. I needed a modest wedding dress and I was living in western washington at the time. If you have ever gone wedding dress shopping (or any dress shopping!) there you know that it is next to impossible to find a dress that both, has sleeves, and looks like it came from this decade (I am here to tell you, lot's of dresses had sleeves in the eighties and early nineties). My mom and I were getting pretty worn down looking and I guess she must have told my dad. He found this dress shop in a neighboring town and we checked it out. I don't know about mom, but I had moderate to low expectations. We got there and told them what we were looking for and they had a whopping 3 dresses that fit the bill. I tried them all on. This dress was my favorite of all of them and it fit. I don't mean, it fit, but we might have to take this bit in a bit or let that bit out a smidge, or hem it. It fit perfectly. It was a miracle.

It's been living in my mom's house while we are living the student life. Apartments don't come with a ton of closet space. So while it was living at my mom's I decided the practical thing to do is sell it. So she mailed it to me. I forgot how pretty it is though. Oh my, but it is gorgeous. The fact is, it's still the practical thing to do. I still intend to sell it, but I am taking a few photos of it so I will always remember how beautiful it is. This is my favorite photo so far. I know you won't love this like I do, but I hope you enjoy the photo just the same.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

I start aching for greenery this time of year. The place I grew up in is green all the time and a girl can only take a lack of growing things for so long. I have my house plants, of course, bu this time of year I start wishing for something more. So this year I took action. Inspired by some onions that sprouted before I got them cooked up in my dinner, I went to work sprouting the next thing I had handy (the onions rotted). Citrus. Lemons and mandarins. I had big plans for a lime too, but, alas, my neither of my limes had any seeds.

Here are my two healthiest looking plants to date. The lemon (left) is my favorite. It is completely charming. The mandarin (right) is also cute, but just not as. I just started a pumello (how do you spell that?) seed too, but only just today, so we'll see what happens with that one. The success of my citrus adventure is spurring me on to new things. A mango seed (I hear they sprout very readily) and garlic cloves. I planted some kitchen herbs too, but they are not doing so well. sigh. Oh well. I have citrus trees! Aren't they sweet?

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

I had an english professor once who used to say "Do the best you can with what you've got". He was, obviously not speaking of photography, but I often think back to that statement.

I have always enjoyed photography most while out and about. I used to take my camera with me everywhere. I love to hike, but I usually do so at a pretty leisurely pace so that I have the time and opportunity to take photos along the way. However, right now I am unable to get outside much. I don't go on walks or hikes because it would be inhumane to take a toddler and a three month old out when it is hardly above freezing...especially when I lost the toddlers mittens. (spring is coming soon, I just know it!) And, realistically, even if it were warmer and I did get out more, I would still have the kids to tend, meaning that my camera might not get the attention I wish it did. So I am faced with an option that never really appealed to me till now. Having a studio. By studio, I mean my kitchen table.

There are advantages to this that were never really relevant till now. Working in my own time frame being the principle one. Another is having more control over my shot. I can control the lighting (kind of...this is still my kitchen table we are talking about), I can make changes and adjustments as much as I want without loosing the opportunity, I don't annoy my husband with how slow I am walking.

The studio approach does, however, present a new set of challenges.The first is that it is easy to do what's been done. To be frank, I think my pears are a bit cliche, although while I'm being frank, I will tell you that I still love them because I love their cute little red freckles (these are forelle pears and they are adorable). Another challenge is the fact that I don't actually have a studio. I have to work when we don't need the kitchen table. I have to work with what light is available there, which is at times challenging. The other challenge, for me, is getting it done during naptime.

But the cool thing about all these challenges is that I'm learning and growing from them. Look, I know this isn't a new concept or anything, but I am always amazed at how challenges end up being helpful. I am learning to see things worth photographing at home. I am learning to look beyond the cliche (sometimes...still working on it, but hey, aren't we all?). I am learning to be more motivated and productive during the short time that is available to me. I am learning to do the best I can with what I have.